Josh Brolin’s career isn’t what you would call typical. After gaining notoriety for iconic ‘80s movie The Goonies, the actor appeared in TV series and lesser-known films before experiencing a resurgence in the mid-aughts.
Fast-forward to now, and his workload has become not only steady, but mainstream. His net worth should be substantial by now, right? Here’s what we know about the actor’s earnings.
Josh Brolin Net Worth
In 2026, Josh Brolin’s net worth is estimated to be $25 million.
Most of it comes from his Hollywood career. The son of actor Josh Brolin, he made his film debut in 1985 in Steven Spielberg’s The Goonies, now dubbed a classic. He subsequently worked in television, appearing in shows including 21 Jump Street, Winnetka Road, Mister Sterling, and The Young Riders.
At the same time, he built a film career with titles like Thrashin’, The Road Killers, Mimic, Nightwatch, and Hollow Man, to name only a few.
However, a career decline led to Brolin devising a backup plan. He was earning well from trading stocks and considered quitting acting for good when he was cast in No Country for Old Men in 2007. The movie was a critical and commercial success, thrusting the actor back into the spotlight. That same year, he appeared in Grindhouse and American Gangster.
Next up, Brolin played President George W. Bush in Oliver Stone’s W., a role that established him as a serious dramatic performer. He followed it with another acclaimed role in Gus Van Sant’s Milk. Before long, he became one of Hollywood’s most dependable character actors. His filmography includes titles like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, True Grit, Men in Black 3, Oldboy, Sicario, Inherent Vice, and Everest.
Brolin also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He first voiced big bad Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy and subsequently reprised the character in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. In 2018, he also played Cable in Deadpool 2.
His post-Marvel career has remained varied, with roles in Only the Brave, the Dune movies, Brothers, Weapons, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and The Running Man. Besides acting, Brolin has his own production company.
Josh Brolin Salary
While Brolin noted that he occasionally made more from stock trading during slower periods in his career than from acting, we’re guessing that’s no longer the case. Actor salaries are typically kept under wraps, but it’s safe to assume that playing Thanos earned him a significant paycheck.
The actor did open up about being broke before his career resurgence, when $600,000 backend pay from American Gangster felt like a godsend. Nowadays, his earnings should be in the range of millions per role.
Josh Brolin Highest Grossing Movies
Brolin’s highest-grossing movie is Avengers: Endgame, which made a whopping $2.799 billion worldwide. The other Marvel movies were big earners, too, as were Deadpool 2 and the Dune franchise.
This year, fans can catch Brolin in The Dog Stars, alongside Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley. The movie is now in cinemas. Over the next few months, he’ll appear in survival thriller Whalefall and Dune: Part Three.
